Xanthoparmelia sorediata
Synonyms
Chondropsis sorediata
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: SO, Sp
Brief description
Characterised by its vagant, unattached habit, with yellow-white terminal soredia on the upper surface and no rhizines on the lower surface.
Distribution
South Island: Canterbury (Mackenzie Country), Otago (Central Otago in the catchments of the Clutha and Waitaki rivers).
Known also from Australia (Elix & Child 1987).
Habitat
On bare, eroded soil in open grassland heavily grazed by sheep and rabbits where it is often associated with the lichens: Cladia aggregata agg., Diploschistes muscorum ssp. bartlettii, Siphula coriacea, Xanthoparmelia concomitans, X. molliuscula, X. reptans, X. semiviridis and X. flavescentireagens, 640–700 m.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose, loose on soil, pale-yellow to pale yellow-green, becoming pale olive-green with age, forming rosettes 1–2 cm in diam., (when wet and expanded), rolling up into convex clumps or balls when dry, 0.5–1 cm diam. Lobes linear-elongate, 1–2 mm wide, dichotomously branched, discrete, not imbricate, apices rounded, curling inwards when dry exposing the lower surface. Upper surface often shining, smooth, weakly maculate (×10 lens), sorediate, the apices (rarely the margins) becoming swollen and developing terminal, sublabriform soralia, the soredia farinose, yellow-white. Medulla white. Lower surface rarely shallowly canaliculate in part, pale-yellow to dull buff, minutely wrinkled, without rhizines. Apothecia very rare, sessile to subpedicellate, 0.5–2.0 mm diam., disc shallowly concave, reddish brown, thalline exciple smooth or becoming sorediate, concolorous with thallus. Ascospores ellipsoidal, colourless, 5–6 × 2.5 μm.
Chemistry: Cortex K−; medulla K+ pale-brown, C−, Pd+ orange-red; containing usnic acid, fumarprotocetraric acid, succinprotocetraric acid and protocetraric acid (tr.).
Similar taxa
Xanthoparmelia sorediata is distinguished from X. semiviridis by its deeper, duller colour and the presence of soralia. The two taxa are sympatric but of the two, X. sorediata is much more rare and scattered.
Threats
Habitat loss and modification of the dryland habitats it occupies. Agricultural intensification (e.g. irrigation, fertilisation) and weed invasion.
Substrate
Vagrant (unattached, on the ground)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (25 July 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features, Similar taxa and Life cycle sections copied from Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Elix J.A. and Child P. 1987 [“1986”]: A new species of Chondropsis (lichenized Ascomycotina) from Australia and New Zealand. Brunonia 9: 113-115.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.